


Here Comes the Big Fish

by kuro49



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen, neal is neal, peter is a good influence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-30
Updated: 2012-09-30
Packaged: 2017-11-15 08:01:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/524999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuro49/pseuds/kuro49
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You’ve got to come up for air some time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here Comes the Big Fish

**Author's Note:**

> Can be seen as pre-slash but gen does just fine.

He thinks about running all the time. And nothing about this is innate, it is a learned behavior that he knows Peter is dying to condition out of him, even when they both know it doesn't work this way.

He twirls a pen in between his fingers, report blank and remembers his six by eight cell, white bars, and whiter walls. He remembers the 12 o'clock curfews, the orange of his jumpsuit, and the black crayon lines counting down his days.

On his good days, he knows this as a temporary thing and four years can be shrugged off as nothing more than a lesson well-learned, through and through. On a bad day, he can't breathe for the life of him and it feels like he is drowning in a depthless sea.

(With nothing as backup, not even five minutes of oxygen in a tiny canister.)

"What are you planning now, Neal?"

He flickers his eyes from the top of the Rodin sculpture by his computer monitor and smiles reflexively, until he notices that it is Peter standing in front of his desk. And then the smile grows into a grin.

"Just thinking what I'm going to have for lunch today."

Peter narrows his eyes at him, not believing a single word coming out of his mouth for even a second and Neal likes it this way, it keeps them both on their toes. Not entirely comforting even though they have been comfortable with each other, even since before he has been released into his custody.

"Well, at the rate you are writing that report, I think you won't be going to lunch at all."

Neal sits up, leans forward with his elbows resting at the edge of his desk and makes a face, "can you even do that?"

"I can do whatever I want with you."

And he doesn't know why that brings a smile to his lips, he knows it shouldn't. Hell, they are both too aware of the underlying problems just below the surface. But he hasn't called him out on anything and he has his leeways when it comes to him, and so they both call it even and let it go upon a mutual consensus that they don't ever talk about it.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Agent Burke."

Neal smirks up at him from beneath his lashes and tries not to laugh at the face Peter makes in reply. He watches him go, up the stairs and back into his own glass office, where he has the perfect view of Neal's own desk, before he glances back down to the blank page of report.

 He knows he can imagine his one last heist, his final mark, the biggest score that can put him in history books. Still, some things are worth it, and the world is just, most of the time. There are already too many bad things in the world but Neal refuses to become one of them.

_You get caught you do your time_ , he remembers Peter’s voice in his head, and Neal’s doing his.

He puts his pen down against paper and writes. And really, he wouldn’t, it’s perfect right where he is.

 XXX Kuro


End file.
